CHFT Spring 2024 Education Series

Woodsworth is a member of the Co-operative Federation of Toronto which is an important source of co-op education for our members. The co-op sets some money aside in our budget for member education.

If you are interested in attending a workshop, please contact Management. They will book you for the program. This year’s schedule has some virtual and some in-person classes..

History of the co-operative movement

Our co-op story goes back to the 1840’s, to twenty eight weavers in Rochdale, Lancashire, England. Skilled workers were being forced into poverty through mechanization during the Industrial Revolution. These artisans chipped in a pound each to start their own shop with affordable quality unadulterated foods. Any surplus benefitted the community. “The Pioneers decided it was time shoppers were treated with honesty, openness and respect, that they should be able to share in the profits that their custom contributed to and that they should have a democratic right to have a say in the business. Every customer of the shop became a member and so had a true stake in the business.” Within 10 years, the British co-operative movement had grown to nearly 1,000 co-operatives.

Housing co-ops in Canada started with the Antigonish Movement in Nova Scotia in 1861 where members came together to build houses for one another. They too used adult education to achieve their goal to improve economic and social circumstances.

Some of the earliest housing co-ops in Canada were student co-ops, including Campus Co-operative Residence at the University of Toronto, which opened in 1936, and Science ’44 Co-operative, which opened at Queen’s University in 1944. This wave of student housing co-ops continued throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, with co-ops like Neill-Wycik in Toronto.

Today, the co-op movement is huge and important. The International Co-operative Alliance says that at least 12% of people on earth is a cooperator of any of the 3 million cooperatives on earth. Cooperatives provide jobs or work opportunities to 10% of the employed population, and the three hundred top cooperatives or cooperative groups generate 2.1 trillion USD in turnover while providing the services and infrastructure society needs to thrive (GLOBAL 300).

And CHF Canada says that across Canada, there are over 2,200 non-profit housing co‑ops, home to about a quarter of a million people in over 90,000 households.

There are earlier examples of co-operatives than the Rochdale weavers, such as the Fenwick, Scotland weavers in March 14, 1761, who sold oatmeal at a discount from someone’s cottage front room. However, the Rochdale “Pioneers” are considered the founders of the co-op movement because they developed the Rochdale Principles, a set of principles of co-operation that provide the foundation for the principles on which co-ops around the world operate to this day.

The original principles were innovative at the time, but recognizable in our goals today, including fair practices, “one member one vote”, equality of the sexes, elected management, frequent statements and balance sheets presented to members and a fixed percentage of profits allotted to education.

Woodsworth Housing Co-operative follows the international co-op principles. These are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice. This is the version tweaked for housing co-operatives by CHF Canada Vision 2020.

1. Voluntary and Open Membership
Membership in a housing co-op is open to all who can use the co-op’s services and accept the responsibilities of being a member, without discrimination.

2. Democratic Member Control
Housing co-ops are controlled by their members. Each member has one vote. Housing co-ops give members the information they need to make good decisions and take part in the life of the co-op.

3. Member Economic Participation
Members contribute financially to the co-op and share in the benefits of membership. The co-op does not pay a return on the members’ shares or deposits. Instead it sets aside reserves for the future and charges the members only what it needs to operate soundly.

4. Autonomy and Independence
Housing co-ops are independent associations. They follow the laws that apply to them and their agreements with governments or other organizations. But the members control the co-op.

5. Education, Training and Information
Housing co-ops offer education and training to the members, directors and staff so that everyone can play a full role in the life of the co-op. Housing co-ops find ways to tell the public what they are and what they do.

6. Co-operation among Co-operatives
By organizing together in federations, housing co-ops grow stronger and help to build a healthy co op movement. Where they can, housing co-ops use the services of co-op businesses to meet their needs.

7. Concern for Community
Housing co-ops work to build strong communities inside and outside the co-op. They help to improve the quality of life for others and they take care to protect the environment.

For more information on co-operatives in British North America and Canada, see this article from the Canadian encyclopedia:
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/co-operative-movement/

COVID-19 and Ontario housing co-ops (CHFC)

Advice from Co-operative Housing Association of Ontario (Updated May 1, 2020)

This article is aimed at Ontario housing co-ops.

Essential workplaces list and housing co-ops
On April 3, 2020, the government of Ontario announced it was reducing the list of essential workplaces. As of Saturday April 4th community housing, which includes co-ops, is no longer listed as an essential workplace. (Student co-ops are likely considered essential as noted on item 13 of the government’s list.)

Some of the work that happens in co-ops such as emergency repairs and safety are considered essential and in determining how to operate, co-ops should focus on which of their services are essential according to the government’s directive.

These are challenging times and we appreciate the work that co-ops across the province are doing to adjust their operations and keep members healthy and safe. Click here to read more on how co-ops can stay safe and comply with government directives.


Members meetings
For Ontario co-ops our advice remains that you should not have members meetings at this time. Ontario’s declaration of a state of emergency prohibits gatherings of more than five people. Even if your meeting will be less than five people, it will be difficult to maintain the proper social distancing between people.

In late April the Province of Ontario issued an update to Emergency Order O. Reg. 107/20, {link to order] which makes changes to the Co-operative Corporations Act related to meetings. There are a number of changes listed in Schedule 3 of the regulation and they apply regardless of anything in the Act or the co-op’s by-laws.

Members’ meetings can be held by “telephonic or electronic means” instead of in-person. Participants need to be able to hear each other and will be allowed to vote. This is temporary and will end when the government decides.

Although electronic, or virtual meetings are temporarily allowed, our advice is to think carefully before holding a virtual members’ meeting and if one is held to only hold it for essential agenda items that cannot be deferred.

Watch for more information about holding virtual members’ meetings.

Annual General Meetings (AGMs)
The emergency order also made changes to the timelines for when AGMs need to be held. Under the order.  If a co-op was supposed to hold an AGM during the emergency, the time is extended to 90 days after the emergency ends. If the AGM was to be held in the 30 days after the emergency ends, the time limit will be 120 days after the end.

In most cases a co-op will be able to wait to hold the AGM until after the emergency is over and they can hold in-person meetings. The members can receive the audited financial statements and appoint the auditor at a later date when you are able to hold your AGM safely.  If you generally elect your directors at your AGM, your current board will remain in office until their successors are elected at the AGM when you are able to hold it. (see Co-op Act S.90(3)).

What about budgets and budget meetings?
Even though the emergency order allows virtual members’ meeting, co-ops should think carefully before holding a virtual meeting to approve a budget. There are two issues that are a challenge for co-op budgets at this time that in many cases can be managed in the short term until an in-person meeting can be held.

  • Submitting a budget to the regulator (service manager or The Agency) on time
  • Scheduling market housing charge increases for the start of the next fiscal year.
    Check with your regulator about current submission dates. We are aware of municipal service managers that have agreed to a later submission of the budget and expect that service managers will be flexible in these circumstances.

The co-op can submit the budget or subsidy estimate with a memo to the regulator (municipal service manager or The Agency). The memo can state that the members have not approved the budget at the time of submission due to the COVID 19 pandemic measures. Of course the board of directors must approve the budget before it is submitted to the regulator. You may want to consider holding an electronic board meeting to approve the budget. (see Board meetings)

There are several tools for dealing with the timing of housing charge increases.

  • Check your Occupancy By-law to see what it says. If your co-op adopted CHF Canada’s model Occupancy By-law, it includes a clause that allows the members to set a shorter notice period than normal (See Section 4.4)
  • Another option is to adjust your budget by increasing housing charges to a level that offsets not being able to increase them for the start of the fiscal year. – eg. Instead of raising housing charges by $10.00 starting in April (12 months x $10.00 = $120.00 additional revenue), you can increase charges by $15.00 starting in August (8 months x $15.00 = $120.00). HSA co-ops should check with their service manager to be sure this would not impact RGI subsidy received.
  • Or, expenses could be adjusted.Board meetings

    Even though board meetings will be smaller than members meetings, during the pandemic you should consider not holding in-person board meetings. For Ontario housing co-ops, directors can hold electronic board meetings through such means as telephone conferencing or computer video chat. This is the preferred way to conduct necessary board business during this time.

The emergency order also included a clause that allows virtual board meetings despite anything in the co-op’s by-laws.

To enact directives from board polls, please refer to Article 11.4 of the new model Organizational By-law, 2015.

In scheduling an electronic meeting, CHF Canada Ontario co-op services recommends dealing with high priority agenda items and limiting meetings to no more than one hour in length. During the pandemic, it would be a good idea for the board to schedule short weekly or bi-weekly electronic meetings to discuss urgent issues.

Help for members in financial distress

Co-ops may have options available to assist members, depending on your funding program.  This will help your co-op’s members and can reduce the final draw on the co-op’s own resources.

Housing Services Act
Members who are already subsidized and require a deeper subsidy will receive it effective immediately following the regular RGI rules. Co-ops should follow any specific directives issued by their service manager with respect to COVID-19 and RGI subsidy. Co-op members should contact their co-op office and provide the necessary financial documents.

Members who pay market rents and are experiencing loss or reduction of employment income due to COVID-19 are entitled to benefits under Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan.

Some co-ops might be able to give out RGI (in-situ) subsidy, upon approval from their service manager, if the co-op is under their annual RGI target numbers.

Co-ops should reach out to their service manager to determine if the co-op can temporarily go over their RGI target to provide further in-situ RGI. By requesting additional subsidy, co-ops can assist some service managers in meeting their provincial standard levels for providing subsidized units in their service area.

Section 95 <Co-ops>
If you are not using all of the subsidy that your co-op receives from CMHC on a monthly basis, or if your co-op has a Subsidy Surplus Fund you may want to use these funds to assist more members in your housing co-op.  Rules for using these funds will be found in your co-op’s by-laws and your Operating Agreement with CMHC.

$200-million social services boost
The Province of Ontario has announced an investment of $200-million for social services to help Ontarians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The funding will also boost the emergency assistance already offered to people with limited income, assets and credit who are experiencing a financial crisis, who aren’t already on Ontario Works, to cover needs such as food, rent and child care.

Those who are on Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program can get a discretionary boost in funding to pay for increased needs because of COVID-19. Individuals are able to apply on a new government website or to contact their case worker if they are already receiving OW or ODSP.

Finally, the funding will also be used to support municipalities and organizations that administer social services, such as food banks, charities, shelters, emergency services and non-profits. Funds will be distributed through the province’s municipal service managers.

Source:  https://chfcanada.coop/ontario-co-ops-and-covid-19/

Cooperation among Cooperatives

Cooperation among cooperatives is one of the seven co-op principles adopted by co-ops around the world.

We are members of Cooperative Housing Federation of Canada (CHFC) and of Cooperative Housing Federation of Toronto. In fact, we were sponsored by CHFT.

You can create your own login to CHFC. CHF Canada has an emailed newsletter. Subscribe on their homepage.

We are also members of the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA). Since 1982, the SLNA has been an “advocate for responsible development and promotes public and pedestrian safety, organises events and celebrations, and champions our neighbourhood’s interests with all levels of government.” Woodsworth was an early player in the development of the SLNA. In fact, our member Bill Ferguson was one of the three applicants for the letters patent for the association.

SLNA community meetings are held on the last Wednesday of every month, except August and December.
7pm – 9pm
115 The Esplanade (O.W.N.)